I personally don't care what a person does for a living. If someone sadistically abuses animals for entertainment they should have a felon conviction -period. Those that say dogs are not people but property to do whatever the owner wants needs to get their head examined. Over and over again in all the psychological profiles done on people, animal abusers are a step away from abusing people or they already have. We all know this to be true. This is a country where we don't eat horses like the French or beat dogs to death in a cage like the Chinese because they taste better. We are better than that.

Those who say dog fighting is a "subculture" and therfore condone it, need to develop some braincells.

Personally this is beyond the beyond for me to believe that anyone would or could violate the unconditional love of an innocent dog.

Vick and the rest of the dog fighters in this country better be prepared for the wrath of the populace- because I am not alone.

The process of truth and lies is a complicated one. Kudos to Richie for attempting to unravel an aspect of the human condition most people feel uncomfortable talking about with any degree of honesty or philosophical insight. I think he's more interesting than M. and look forward to seeing the film.

I can't believe some of the idiotic responses this article has received. Here's the thing. Obama must win at all costs. Hillary is finished. Biden as VP is exactly what we need. He's a champion of the middle class and a pragmatist in foreign affairs and always on top of his game. He can be a pit bull when necessary which is vital now because this is going to be a tough (Karl Rove) fight. Hillary fans get off your ideologue kick and donate time or money to Obama's election or end up with McCain the real Hawk for the next 4 to 8 years. Get Practical.

Wow! I will never take you gals for granted. Thank You, thank you, thank you.

Dear Mr. Greenwald,

Thank-you for doing the footwork in this intensely rich article. It has bothered me for years how the Republican rhetoric has manipulated facts and then appears to represent the average American in spite of empirical evidence to the contrary. As the polls increasely tilt towards an Obama win, my faith has been restored. People are hurting and putting two and two together.

I have a couple of degrees, and like so many other people in California I have been downsized. Currently I'm working in a restaurant that primarily caters to wealthy Republicans. As I go about my service job(waitperson), I get snippits of conversations from these patrons. My deduction? Most don't have a clue about the struggling middleclass, these customers are extremely lazy intellectuals who live in a parallel universe. They raved about how terrific Palin was and could of cared less about her qualifications. Golf and me first, pretty much. This mindset is a result of free wheeling deregulation and a complete dismissal (lack of representation), of the middleclass for the past 8 years. "The Regular Voter".

I don't expect radical financial improvement when Obama gets into office. It will take the first term to get things on track. Yet the one thing I expect Obama to address in his first term is health insurance.

In conclusion, Obama has brought civility and truth back into the political spectrum and it doesn't illude the middleclass, it inspires us. I'm keeping the faith, He's gonna win!!!

Colin Powell's endorsment of Obama was welcomed by all of us working for Obama. His statements about the GOP's smear machine confirms what more than half the voting population has been thinking. We're tired of partisan politics. We're tired of the far right dictating public policy. Obama's inclusiveness is not phoney like McCain's. Obamas' brillance transends party lines. General Powell's targeted speech is much appreciated and can only help us to the finish line.

The beauty of this race is the way Obama's campaign has been run. All decisions have been deliberate from the beginning. I remember how ridiculously stupid Kerry's ran. Our country had to go broke and have 8 years of Bush for the dem's to finally put their boxing gloves on. Let's hope if Obama wins that the gloves stay close because the slimy Rovian characters will never let up.

What we're witnessing is the end of middle class complacency. It's mar...velous!

This trade agreement doesn't even contribute to our national economy three quarters of one percent and above all sets a very demoralizing tone to the workers of America that their voice has not been heard. We'd rather eat beans and rice for the next four years before accepting a Bush exit deal.